Container



Aug. 17, 1937.

'J. HOTHERSALL CONTAINER Filed June 25, 1935 ATTORNEYS Patented Au 17, 1937 UNITED STATE-S CONTAINER.

John M. Hothersall, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y.; a corporation or New Jersey Application June 25, .1935, Serial No. 28,368

4 Claims. (01. 220-54) The present invention relates to tearing strip key opening containers or cans and has particular'reference to a. tongue construction which reduces the containercost without detracting from the full benefit of a key engaging tongue part for the removal of the tearing strip in the opening of the container.

An object of the invention is the provision of a tearing strip container or can having a special- 1y constructedtongue which is formed in the edge of the blank from which the body is made and which allows for manufacture of the container from a smaller body blank with the resulting saving in container cost.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a container or can of the character described having a tongue part formed adjacent one end of a. tearing strip section which is outlined by score lines in the body wall, this tongue '20 being made eifective for engagement with an opening key by-bending from its initial position in the blank to extended position beyond the end of the tearing strip.

A still further object of the invention is the g5 provision of a. tearing strip container or can formed with a side seam having a part-of the seam' edges interlocked in a lock seam and a part overlapped in a lapped seam the tongue extension of the tearing strip being formed by bend- 30 ing an edge section of the blank which is adjacent to that which enters into the lap part of the side seam.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better under- 35 stood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view, parts being 40 broken away disclosing a tearing strip container embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional fragmentary view on an enlarged scale taken just above the tearing strip tongue as viewed along the line 22 in Fig. 1; 45 Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are corner fragments of a; body blank illustrating the position of the tongue section relative to the tearingstrip in three different stages of its construction;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of the tongue con- 50 struction in an intermediate stage as viewed substantially along the line 5-6 in Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a. similar view showing the formation of the tongue at the completion of the tongue 7 bending operation, this view being a section 55 taken substantially along the line 7-1 in Fig, 5,

A popular type of tearing strip container or can is one having a tearing strip which encircles the can body with the key engaging tongue of the tearing strip an integral part of the body. This tongue extends beyond the edge of the can seam 5 and such a can requires a body blank long enough to include the tongue. A considerable waste ofmaterial results inblanking out this projecting tongue length and a great deal of the edge of the blank must be cut away and lost in order to 10 produce the projecting tongue.

Thepresent invention efiects -a considerable saving in the material in the body blank by doing away with this loss or waste of the body blank edge. In the present invention 'the tongue 15 is embodied within the outlines of the blank instead of projecting beyond. The tongue is formed inside of one edge of the blank and is partially severed as it remainsin position with its longitudinalextent adjacent the blank edge. In other words it is at right angles to the tearing strip.

The tearing strip is preferably formed in the body wall by score lines which extend from one end of the tongue part longitudinally across the body blank. This tongue part is bent from its blanking position, at right angles to the tearing strip, into the line or longitudinally of the tearingv strip so that it then, projects beyond the edge of the blank. After the can is formed, the

projecting tongue then extends in the conventional position beyond the seam.

To illustrate the inventionthere is disclosed in the drawing a container ll- (Fig. 1) havin a bottom end l2 anda top end or cover I3 which i are united with the body in the usual double .seam l4. A favorite type of tearing strip can at the present time embodies an inner collar 1 which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and which is designated by the numeral I 5. -Such a collar may be located adjacent to and just beneath the 40 cover l3 and may be united with the body wall in any suitable manner as by cooperating beads [6- formed in body and. collar.

Such a collar backs up the tearing strip (indicated by the numeral l8) which preferably encircles the body and extends from one edge of a side seam l9 around the body Wall and back to the other edge of the seam. It also provides for a seat 'for the cover when the latter is used as a reclosure for the can after opening and after the tearing strip has been removed.

A tearing strip tongue 2| is formed as an integral part of the body wall and projects beyond a lapped section 22 of the side seam l9. A lock e m Section 23 is also formed in the side seam 22. Within the bottom double seam H the side seam has another lapped section 24.

Figs. 3, 4, and illustrate a cornerof the body' 6 blank which may'be'used to produce the container of Fig. 1. This blank wall (indicated by the numeral 25) is notched out at 26 adjacent an edge of the blank. A line of severance 21 is cut throughv the blank wall adjacent its edge andlong and short section as best illustrated in Fig. .3.

One end of the long section of the line terminates at 28 in a rounded part and the other and joins the short section in asharp'corner. These line sections set oif or form the tongue 2| which is in the plane of the blank wall 25 and which.

. extends longitudinally along'the edge of the blank and to one side of the edge notch 26. A smaller notch 29 is made at the same time in the edge of and within the notch 26 and is located diagonally acrossfrom the rounded end 28 of the'cut' 21.

25 Parallel score lines 36 are cut in the blank edge of the blank, one score line extending from the vertex of the, notch. 26, the other from a.

point adjacent the rounded out 26.

mental or herringbone score lines 3| may also be made in the tearing strip l8 .these extending 'from the parallelscore lines 30 in the usual manner.

After the blank has, been scored the tongue 2| is first bent out of the plane of the blank and 2'5 into a position substantially at right angles to its former position (see Figs. 4 and 6). This places the tongue midway between the notches 26, 29 and a rounded loop part 35 is formed.

'This loop part 35 is then pressed down into a 40 close fitting folded section 36 (Figs. 5 and 7). This brings the tongue 2| substantially into the line of the tearing, strip l8 where it. extends beyond its end and beyond the edge of the blank.

- p The blank is then formed into a container in 45 the usual manner, at which time the edge of the blank adjacent the transverse line of cut 21 (indicatedby the numeral 31) is formed into a hook part of the usual lock section 23 of the side seam l9. The remaining edge of the blank from which 50 the tongue was-removed, this being between the section 31 and the tearing strip is lapped with the ,edge of the opposite side of the blank in the usual manner to produce the lap section 22 of the side seam.

to An opening key 36 having a tongue enga in slot 39 may be conveniently secured as by a is preferably a composite line having a right angle and extend substantially at right angles to the Suppleto the;cover l3 and when it is to be usedthis key is lifted from the cover where it breaks ofi along a weakened notched part 42. When-the tongue 2| is wound onto the key the notches 26, 29 assist in guiding the line of tear 1 spot weld 4| into the scored lines 3|] and the container is thus opened in the usual manner.

By constructing a tongue great deal of material is saved in the blank which need only be large enough to form the desired size of body, the lock seam section 23 determinin this manner aing the overall dimension of the blank. Since Y the tongue is extended beyond the edge of the body at the lap seam section 22, the tongue width comes out of a blank part about equal to that forming the hook of the lock seam section 23 and consequently a much smaller blank produces the same size of can.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacriflcing=all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Iclaim:

1. In a body blank for a tearing strip container, a tearing strip set oil by score lines formed in the body'wall and adapted to be. removed in opening the container, said tearing strip having a. tongue formed as an integral part thereof extending at'an angle to said tearing strip and disposed entirely within the marginal confines of'said blank, said tongue being adapted to be .bent into line with said tearing strip and providing engaging means for an opening key.

2. 'A body blank for a tearing strip container having a tearingstrip set 011? by parallel score lines extending across the blank, a tongue constituting an integral part of the blank to pro- 1 vide a key engaging extensionfor one'end of said tearing strip-said tongue extending at an angle tosaid tearing strip and defined by lines of severa'nce extending in and along the blank edge, whereby said tongue may be bent from its position in the plane of the blank into line with said tearing strip where it extends beyond the edge of the blank.

3. A tearing strip' container constructed from abody blank as defined in claim 1.-

" 4. A tearing strip container constructed'of a bodyblankasdeflnedin claim2. e i K JOHN M. noTnnRsAnn 

